2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo has handed Yamaha a stark warning, with the Frenchman unwilling to afford the Iwata factory any more chances to provide him with the bike he craves. It comes off the back of a difficult weekend at Silverstone for the #20, which saw him qualify last and finish in P15 at the British GP.
Just 12 months ago, Quartararo led the Championship chase before eventually conceding his MotoGP™ crown to Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). ‘El Diablo’ has earned just three podiums and zero wins since the 2022 British GP, and it seems he has run out of patience with the Iwata factory, giving them until the Misano Test to come up with something.
"In the Misano test I want to have proof. They have a month. Yamaha has been promising me things for three years in a 10-page PDF document, of which nine-and-a-half pages are not fulfilled," Quartararo told Autosport last weekend at the British GP: "This year I did not want to see that PDF.
"I don't want to see written things, what I want to see is the Misano bike, because that will be, at 95%, the one that will run in 2024. There it will be seen if Yamaha really wants me for the future."
Quartararo has issued the challenge to Yamaha but admits his preference is to remain within the fold of the Japanese manufacturer.
"Yamaha is the priority because it is the brand that brought me to MotoGP - I trust Yamaha and I gave them a chance, but there won't be a second one."
Quartararo also opened up on his split with long-time manager Eric Mahe, in order to build his own management company, FQ20.
“Now I feel much freer. I have people at home who deal with the legal part and the economic part.
"I know what I want, I don't want to get dizzy. That will be very important with a view to seeing what Yamaha does for next year."